Many prior efforts have been made to dispense a small measured quantity of liquid from a large liquid container such as a bottle of laundry detergent. These prior efforts have generally required filling of a measuring reservoir dispenser either by tilting of a large bottle or by squeezing of a bottle which, although larger than the measuring reservoir dispenser, is usually hand-sized. In either case, transportation of the bulk container, which usually comprises a large bottle, to the place where the liquid is to be dispensed is required.
The measuring dispensers requiring tilting of a large bottle generally have a measuring reservoir either integral with or secured to the top of the bottle. Representative prior art structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,875 issued to Finch on Aug. 13, 1968 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,859 issued to Jennings on Mar. 21, 1978. Other prior efforts have secured the measuring reservoir, which is filled by tilting of the bottle, to the mouth of the bottle by the use of threaded attachment means. An exemplary prior art structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,809 issued to Breneman on June 7, 1966. Clearly, removal of the filled measuring reservoir disclosed in Breneman by unscrewing from the mouth of the bottle is not contemplated during the dispensing operation.
A second known method of dispensing a measured quantity of liquid from a bulk liquid container such as a bottle is to employ a bulk liquid container comprising a hand-graspable squeeze bottle. By squeezing the bottle a quantity of liquid is forced up a dip tube into a top-mounted measuring reservoir. The measuring reservoir is typically attached to the bottle by a threaded connection, and removal of the filled measuring reservoir by unscrewing is not contemplated during the dispensing operation. The bottle is most conveniently carried to the site of dispensing and tilted to dispense the liquid collected in the reservoir. Accordingly, the size of the bottle is limited. Typical prior art structures employing this approach are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,768 issued to Britt on June 12, 1979 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,623 issued to Padzieski on May 14, 1963.
It is also known to secure an external squeeze bulb to a bulk container, such as a bottle, to facilitate dispensing of liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,068 issued to Kersten on Aug. 6, 1963 discloses a squeeze bulb dispenser 11 secured to a source of liquid by means of a one-way inlet valve 12 and a flexible liquid supply tube 14. The one-way inlet valve 12, which is located at the base of the dispenser 11, prohibits the flow of liquid from the dispenser back into the bottle 18 when the bulb 11 is squeezed, while a second one-way outlet valve 13 responds to the application of manual pressure to the bulb 11 to dispense liquid. Dispensing is carried out with the bulb 11 attached to the bottle 18. Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 2,311,367 issued to Chambers on Feb. 16, 1943 discloses a squeezable bulb which is positioned atop a bottle containing a dip tube. Squeezing the bulb causes liquid to be forced from the bottle through the dip tube into the bulb. The liquid is then dispensed from the bulb, while attached to the bottle, through a separate opening. If desired, a dauber can be incorporated inside the squeezable bulb and removed from the bulb for use at a remote location. U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,689 issued to Elmore on June 6, 1967 discloses yet another bellows-type pump threadedly attached to the top of a bottle for pumping a liquid from the bottle. Liquid is dispensed through a valved dip tube and out a pipe without entering the interior regions of the squeezable pump, which remains secured to the bottle during the dispensing operation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide dispensing means removably connected to a bulk liquid container for withdrawing a predetermined quantity of liquid from the container and dispensing it at a location remote from the container.
It is another object of the present invention to provide means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid from a large bulk container without requiring tilting or squeezing of the bulk container.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide means for returning any unused liquid to the bulk container and for ensuring that a predetermined quantity of liquid will be available in the dispensing means for the next dispensing cycle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a structure which requires only one hand to withdraw liquid from a bulk container and to thereafter dispense the drawn liquid at a remote location.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dispensing apparatus which maintains its liquid prime intermediate dispensing cycles.